Cal’s Yann Hufnagel resigns amid sexual harassment scandal
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Cal assistant coach Yann Hufnagel resigned from the school Thursday after previously saying that he would fight the school’s efforts to fire him for allegedly sexually harassing a female reporter, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
A statement from his lawyer, Mary McNamara, stated that environment at the school had led Hufnagel to make the decision.
“The toxic environment at UC Berkeley has made it impossible for Mr. Hufnagel to rejoin the basketball team he loves, even if he is vindicated in full, as the facts would show,” the statement read.
Hufnagel was found by a school investigation of having attempted to convince a female reporter to come to his apartment for sex and sending her sexually suggestive text messages.
Hufnagel has denied the claim, suggesting that a recent string of sexual harassment incidents at the school involving faculty played into the university’s decision.
The former Harvard assistant coach was in his second season working for Cuonzo Martin at Cal and holds the reputation for being a top recruiter.
The school has yet to release a statement about the resignation.
